A 3-year-old boy has died of suspected Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Singapore, Xinhua quoted the health ministry as saying today. The boy, who developed fever, oral ulcers and rash, was diagnosed with HFMD by a general practitioner on Aug. 3, said the health ministry in a statement. He was dehydrated and had high fever when he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at a women's and children's hospital on Thursday. His condition deteriorated and he died on Thursday evening. The ministry said the boy attended Elias Kindergarten in Woodlands, Singapore's northern suburb, where there is currently an active HFMD cluster. The kindergarten has been ordered to close for 10 days with immediate effect till Aug. 17 and to carry out the necessary cleaning and disinfection work. "This closure will allow a break in the chain of transmission," said the ministry. According to the ministry, the number of HFMD cases notified in the week ending Aug. 2 is 392, below the warning threshold level. This brings the total number of cases to 17,435 for the first 31 weeks of this year. HFMD is caused by intestinal viruses. The most common strains are the Coxsackie virus and Entero virus 71. Adults may get the illness, but children under five are most susceptible. There is no vaccine for HFMD.
